


You're Like Home to Me

by TwiGilmore



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Happy Ending, Love, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:40:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27986325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwiGilmore/pseuds/TwiGilmore
Summary: Jess briefly moves back to Stars Hollow after A Year in the Life when Luke gets injured in a car accident and needs help with the diner. Rory and Jess slowly find their way back to each other. Each chapter shows the slow progression of their inevitable relationship.
Relationships: Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing!

**A/N: I've been a Gilmore Girls fan for years and years! I even wrote some GG FanFiction back in the day, but I have no idea how to find that account again, haha!**

**Just FYI – This is not a story for Logan fans. I rated the story mature for language and possible lemons down the road. Enjoy!**

* * *

**JPOV**

I never thought I would be back in this hell hole.

Even after all this time, I still thought of this place as a total whack job. I missed my simple apartment in Philadelphia full of solitude. I was thankful I could work remotely with the publishing house. At least that would help me make it through the next several weeks of torture.

I yawned as I filled the coffee machine with water and coffee grounds. I glanced at the clock – 5:45 a.m. I hadn't woken up this early in years.

Thank God Caesar was almost here. I was not a chef. I didn't know how to prepare the food for the morning rush. I couldn't cook to save my fucking life. Serving was about all I would be good for.

I heard a light knock on the diner's door. Geez. Maybe I could pretend I didn't hear it. We weren't supposed to open for another 45 minutes. I didn't turn around from the coffee machines, hoping whoever it was would go away.

They knocked louder. Damn it.

I turned around in an angry haste, but my expression immediately softened when I realized who it was. I walked over to the door, unlocked it, and pushed it open.

"I, seriously, _need_ coffee. Luke's coffee. No other coffee will do. Please tell me you've already made some." Rory quickly pushed past me and made her way to the counter.

She was wearing sweats, a t-shirt, cardigan, and slippers. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She looked haggard, but still had her normal amount of jovial energy. I wondered how much coffee she already consumed this morning.

"Good morning to you, too." I responded with amusement.

Rory turned around with a look of disappointment on her face after noticing the coffee was yet to be brewed.

"Not a good morning," she scowled. "Harper has been awake all night with some kind of stomach bug. I am exhausted. And there's no coffee ready, so I'm about to make you miserable with me."

Harper was Rory's daughter. If I remembered correctly, she was almost five years old. I still hadn't met her yet. Luke filled me in on all of that awhile back – Rory got pregnant right before his wedding to Lorelai. It was that rich, immature, frat boy's kid. The one Rory dated in college for some reason or another. He was a total dick. From what Luke told me, he wasn't around much, and Rory didn't expect anything from him in the fatherhood department.

"Oh, trust me," I retorted. "I am _plenty_ miserable being back in this freak show you view as an actual town."

She smiled and sat down on one of the bar stools as I walked back behind the counter.

"Where is Harper, anyway?" I asked her.

"Lane stayed over last night, so I left them at the house together to go on a coffee and donut run."

I nodded to the other end of the counter. "Grab whatever donuts you want. Coffee will be ready in a few minutes."

"Bless you!" Rory exclaimed as she made her way over to the donut platter, lifted the lid, and took two donuts. She placed them on a napkin and came to sit back on the bar stool closest to me.

"I'm sure it's strange being back here, huh? I mean, this is your longest stay since you actually lived here like twenty years ago."

I frowned. "Never in a million years did I think I would be back here this long."

Rory laughed. Man, I forgot how much I loved that sound. "Feels a little eerie being back here in the diner together, twenty years later, doesn't it? I mean, the reason you left town in the first place, all those years ago, was because of a car accident. Now, you're back here because of one."

"Oh, don't get all superstitious on me, Gilmore." I respond. I guess I hadn't really thought about it, but she was right – it did feel a little uncanny… But it also just felt normal, being here with Rory. Everything with Rory has always felt light and easy, even when I first met her.

She smirked then took a bite of her donut. I turned back to the coffee machines and pressed the on buttons. We were quiet for several seconds before Rory asked, "are you worried about Luke?"

Luke recently got into a car accident on his way to Woodbridge. He was going to have a meeting with a supplier for the diner. The accident was pretty brutal. He had broken ribs, a broken leg, a concussion, some internal bleeding, and some pretty severe cuts and bruises. He was extremely lucky that he wasn't more injured. He was finally released from the hospital a few days ago, but he was on strict bed rest.

I recalled the unsettling memory from two weeks ago:

_I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone that was ringing. It was my mom. Ugh. I didn't feel like dealing with her problem of the day, so I ignored her call and focused back on the manuscript I was reviewing._

_She called again. I ignored her._

_She sent me a text:_ Honey, call me back ASAP. It's about Luke.

_Geez, I knew if I didn't call her back, she would continue bugging me all fucking day. I grabbed my phone and made my way out of my office, walked down the stairs, and exited the building to stand outside._

_I dialed her number, and she answered on the second ring._

" _Jess!" My mom said as soon as she picked up._

" _What's going on, mom?" I asked, annoyed. I was expecting her to tell me about a weird ass problem that only she could have. Luke probably tried to help her, but she wouldn't listen, so she was calling to bitch to me about it._

" _Honey, your uncle Luke… He was in a pretty bad car accident about an hour ago. TJ and I are on our way to the hospital in Hartford."_

_Shit. I felt my heart rate pick up. "What do you mean 'bad'?"_

" _I'm not sure," my mom said quietly. "Lorelai's already at the hospital, but she hasn't been allowed to see him yet. We just know that he was unconscious when he got to the hospital in the ambulance."_

" _Shit, okay. I'll book a flight and be there as quickly as I can." I said before hanging up._

_I don't really remember what happened next – I was just operating on autopilot. I booked a flight, packed a bag, told my colleagues I would work remotely, and left._

"Jess," Rory's voice brought me back to reality. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head slightly. "I'm fine, sorry. I'm just tired." That wasn't untrue. I had been sleeping in Luke's old apartment upstairs. Talk about nostalgia. "But, yes… I guess I am worried about Luke."

I hunched forward and placed my arms on the counter, so I was leaning in a little closer to her. God, she looked tired and her brows were furrowed with anxiety.

"Me, too," she said. "Luke's the only constant guy I've ever had in my life. Well, besides my grandfather, but that wasn't until I got older… It was scary getting the call from my mom about Luke's accident."

I wanted to reach out and touch her arm, but I wasn't sure if that was crossing our friendship boundary. I just couldn't stand to see Rory in any type of pain. I guess I would always have a weird soft spot for her, even after all these years. Maybe it was just the reminiscence… Either way, I resisted the temptation.

"I understand the 'only constant guy' in your life thing," I empathized. "He's going to make a full recovery, though. There's nothing that can keep him out of this diner for too long."

She smiled. "Yeah, you're right."

We were quiet for a moment as we held our eye contact. Why did moments like this always happen with Rory? It was like she could break down my walls with one swift glance of her crystal blue eyes – like she knew me better than anyone else.

Reacting solely on instinct, I lifted my hand to reach out and touch her arm, but immediately dropped it back on the counter once I heard the jingling of Caesar's keys against the door. I was slightly startled as I stood up straight and turned back toward the coffee machines.

"Morning!" Caesar greeted us as he headed to the back of the kitchen.

The coffee was brewed enough now to, at least, fill up two to-go cups. "When are you getting me the sequel for your book?" I asked Rory teasingly as I poured the coffee.

"Ugh," she huffed. "I don't know, maybe when you write yours."

I laughed. "You promised me a second book."

My publishing house took a liking to Rory's book a few years back and published it quickly. The only caveat was that Rory had to write a sequel. She was way past her deadline, which I kept extending for her despite the push back I received from my other colleagues.

"I know, I know! I am working on it, okay? I just don't have much inspiration… I feel like I told all of my story in the first book."

"Then you better start getting a life because I don't think I can vouch for you much longer," I joked, giving her a smirk as I handed her the to-go cups.

"Just give me a little more time. I'll come up with something."

Could I ever say no to Rory? No.

"Fine. But the sequel better be worth it."

"Deal," Rory jumped off the stool. "Well, I gotta get back home. I'm sure I'll see you later today… Thanks for the donuts and coffee."

"Wait," I stopped her. "Let me grab something."

I turned and walked into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and pulled out the leftover chicken noodle soup from yesterday. I grabbed a sleeve of saltine crackers from the shelf then made my way back to the front.

"Here," I handed her the container and crackers. "For Harper. It's Luke's chicken noodle soup recipe. Caesar made it yesterday."

Rory smiled. "You're the best. I was going to call Sookie and beg her to scrounge something up for me, but this is perfect. Thanks!"

"Don't mention it," I responded. "I hope she feels better and you get some rest."

"Thanks, Jess." Rory said before leaving.

I went back behind the counter and started situating the cash register.

"You still hung up on her or something?" Caesar asked from the kitchen. I rolled my eyes. Geez.

"None of your business," I growled. "Just get the food going, okay?"

Caesar chuckled. "Whatever you say, little boss."

Even if I _was_ pining over Rory, she wouldn't give me the time of day for anything other than friendship.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!

**JPOV**

"Grandma, what are you doing!? I want ice cream, ice cream, ice cream! Choco sprinkles and cherries, too!" I heard a little kid yell somewhere in the house as I walked up the porch steps.

"You, little girl, are _definitely_ my offspring's offspring." I heard Lorelai respond.

"What's that mean?" The little kid asked.

Well, I guess I was meeting Harper today. I knocked on the door a few times and waited. "It's open!" Lorelai called. "We're in the kitchen!"

I twisted the knob and made my way inside. I turned to the right and walked into the kitchen. Sure enough, Lorelai was scooping ice cream out of a carton and into a bowl. Harper, or the little kid I believed to be Harper, was standing on a chair wiggling her legs excitedly and rubbing her hands together in anticipation of the sugar.

"Jess, hey," Lorelai nodded to me. "Luke's sleeping. His doctor has him on some pretty intense pain meds. It's kind of fun because nothing wakes him up, even Harper's incessant cries for ice cream." Lorelai smiled at Harper and pressed the ice scream scoop to Harper's nose, making her giggle.

"I just brought over some food for Luke," I said as I set a bag on the table. "I'm sure he's going crazy eating take-out and not being able to cook. I had Caesar make him a few things."

Lorelai put the lid on the ice cream and threw it back into her freezer. Harper jumped off the chair and Lorelai handed her the bowl and spoon.

Harper walked over to me, shoving a spoonful of sprinkles into her mouth. She looked up at me. "You kinda look like grandpa Luke-y."

I chuckled and bent down, so I was on her level. "Your grandpa Luke wishes he had this head of hair." I said jokingly as I tousled my hair playfully toward her.

She giggled again. "Yeah," she shoved a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. "He's pretty much bald."

Lorelai and I laughed. This kid was tolerable. "Yes, he is."

"'Cause he's old. That's just what happens." She shrugged.

Okay, she was more than tolerable. I _liked_ her. And I didn't like kids. "You're right again, kiddo. I'm grandpa Luke's nephew, that's why we _kinda_ look alike." I explained.

"Oh okay." Harper smiled then skipped off into the living room with her ice cream. I heard her turn on the T.V.

"How's he doing?" I asked, referring to Luke, once Harper was out of earshot.

Lorelai and I had a working relationship, as I liked to call it. I didn't think she hated me anymore, but I still wasn't her favorite person in the world. I couldn't blame her. I treated Rory like shit a few times when I was younger.

Lorelai frowned. "He's okay. Could be worse, I guess. He pretty much just sleeps all day with the meds right now. His doctor said, in a few more days, he can slowly begin to walk around with his crutches. I think that will make him feel better. You know Luke… He wants to be up doing things. When he's awake, it drives him crazy that he's bedridden."

"Yeah, I can imagine."

"Jess, I've been wanting to thank you for taking care of the diner right now…. I thought we would have to shut the place down until Luke was better. It's helping him feel a little less stressed with you stepping up. So, thank you… Just don't tell him what Harper said about him going bald. He's sensitive about it." She smiled at her joke.

I owed Luke more than I could ever repay him. I was a shitty teenager, but without him I would be asleep in some ditch somewhere, I was sure. "Well, I can't help him in the hair department, but I'll definitely be sticking around until he's able to be back at the diner fulltime."

The back door jingled just as I finished my comment, and Rory walked in. "Jess," she smiled. "I thought that was your car out front, but I wasn't sure."

"I was just dropping off some food for Luke. I threw in a few burgers and a ton of fries for you guys, too." I said, referring to Lorelai, Rory, and Harper.

"And pie!?" Rory asked, still smiling.

"Yeah, there better be pie or we can't accept the delivery." Lorelai chimed in.

"Pie!?" Harper screeched as she ran into the kitchen with her face covered in ice cream and red cherry juice.

"Geez, there's three of you, all identical. There's your book, Rory – how to stop creating the same person over and over."

Rory laughed. "Well, I learned from the best," Rory said as she nodded to her mom. "I guess you met Harper?"

I had to give Lorelai some points. I mean, Rory was… well, there wasn't a good enough adjective to describe her. Perfect, maybe. But that didn't sound right either. She as the whole package – funny, witty, loving, caring, spontaneous, confident, independent, incredibly intelligent…

"Yeah, I'm BFFs with the mini-you now, right?" I asked as I turned toward Harper and held my fist out to her.

"Yep," Harper agreed and bumped her fist to mine. "He's got good hair, mama."

Rory and Lorelai laughed. "Yes, Jess has always had great hair."

Was that a glimmer of flirtation I saw in her eyes? Maybe, but I didn't want to overthink it.

"Always?" Harper asked.

"I've known Jess for a really long time," Rory explained. "He's one of my really good friends. You just never met him before because he lives in Philadelphia, but he's here to help grandpa Luke with the diner until he feels better."

"Ohhhhh," Harper nodded then turned to me a few seconds later. "You didn't answer the question on if there's pie in that bag. No pie, no more fist bumps."

"Oh, there's pie in there, alright. I guess our handshake is safe." I winked at her.

Harper smiled and skipped back into the living room.

"She's kind of the best, huh?" Rory beamed.

I couldn't help but smile. Her adoration for Harper was almost palpable. "Not kind of. She definitely is."

"Well, I need to go check on Luke," Lorelai said before turning to walk out of the kitchen. "Thanks again, Jess."

"You certainly look more rested than when I saw you a few days ago." I said to Rory once Lorelai was out of the kitchen.

"Yes, I feel a thousand times better. And Harper, obviously, feels better now, too. It was Luke's coffee and chicken noodle soup. That combo should be studied. I bet it could cure more than just the stomach flu."

"Well, I'm glad you're both better. And I'm happy I got to meet Harper."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Rory rushed past me and into her old bedroom. She walked over to the desk and picked up an envelope then handed it to me. "It's an invitation for Harper's 5th birthday party. It's on Saturday. Please say you'll come."

"Geez, she's only four now?"

"Four going on forty, yes." Rory joked.

Ugh. The last thing I wanted to do was go to a birthday party with the crazy people from this town, but Rory's blue eyes were begging, and I was a sucker. "I'll be there as long as Caesar is able to cover at the diner."

She grinned. "Good."

We stared at each other for a few seconds, just like the other morning at the diner. It was like I could feel an invisible string that was binding us together. I wanted to pull her toward me and wrap my arms around her. The urge was overwhelming for some reason.

"Well, I guess I need to get back…" I finally said. Damn. Should I have made a move? Maybe I could still hug her now? Would that be weird? I wish I knew what Rory was thinking.

I randomly thought about our first kiss – if Rory wanted to be with me, she would make it happen. It had to come from her. She had to know, even after all these years, that I was still infatuated with her. Even though I hated to admit it. What kind of pathetic loser still pined over his ex-girlfriend from almost twenty years ago?

Maybe I needed to apologize, though, for all the asinine things I did to her back then. Even though I knew we were good now, despite all the bullshit of the past, I needed to own up to everything and officially apologize. I would do that soon, whenever the right time arose.

Rory seemed to be searching my eyes for a moment before saying, "yeah, and I should get Harper cleaned up and make sure she didn't get ice cream all over my mother's couch."

"Alright, I'll see ya later." I said as I walked toward the back door.

"See you." She smiled as she turned to walk into the living room.

* * *

**RPOV**

"So, what's with all the fireworks?" My mom questioned, coming up behind me as I helped Harper get all the dried cherry juice off her face with a wet paper towel.

"What're you talking about?" I questioned.

My mom came to stand in front of me, placing a hand on her hip as she cocked her head to the side, giving me an accusatory look. "You know what fireworks."

"Uh, no, I obviously don't." Geez, Harper's face was going to be stained for a while because this red dye was not coming off one of her cheeks.

"With Jess. I walked back downstairs to grab one of Luke's medications and I see the two of you standing in your room… ogling each other."

"We were not 'ogling each other,'" I retorted. "I was just giving him an invitation to Harper's birthday party."

"What's 'ogling'?" Harper asked me.

"It means to look at someone closely." I explained.

"To look at them closely because you want to jump their bones." My mom leaned forward and whispered into my ear so Harper wouldn't hear.

"Gross, mom. Come on!" I said back to her as she laughed.

I rolled my eyes. Jess and I were old news. I didn't foresee anything ever happening in that department again. Was he insanely attractive? Yes. Would I be lying if I said I didn't feel some kind of attraction toward him? Yes. But that wasn't enough for me to want to rekindle that mess of a relationship. Especially now that we were friends… I didn't want to ruin that or make things weird again. Plus, I needed to just focus on Harper, my writing, and my job at the Stars Hollow Gazette…

"Mama, I think Jess is cute." Harper smiled dreamily.

"Yes, he is _very_ cute," I replied to her. "But cute boys are often trouble. Remember that when you're older."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!

**JPOV**

" _Jess…" Rory mumbled my name as I slowly kissed and nibbled her neck. Her arms were wrapped tightly around my bare back. I kissed my way back up her neck and melted our lips together again. My lips parted and Rory slipped her tongue into my mouth, making a low moan escape from the back of my throat._

_She pushed against my shoulder, giving me the signal that she wanted me to lay on my back. I followed her cue and pulled her on top. Her legs straddled me as her hips thrusted forward, rubbing her center against the throbbing bulge in my underwear._

_She lifted her shirt up and over her head and immediately unclasped her bra, tossing the garment to the floor. My hands ran up and down the smooth skin of her back before pulling her down to me. I kissed her fervently before she started attacking my neck with her lips. I rested one hand on her hip as I let the other travel up to her breast._

" _Mmmm," she moaned into my ear as I gently rolled her nipple between my thumb and index finger. I didn't think I could get any harder, but that sound made any remaining blood in my actual head travel down to my other head. She rocked her hips again, craving more friction as she nibbled on my ear lobe and used her tongue to trace the ridges of my ear._

_Fuck._

_Rory was the sexiest woman alive. Even more than that, she was everything – intelligent, kindhearted, ambitious, beautiful in every sense of the word… I needed her. All this pent-up sexual energy for years and years now…_

BEEEEEEEEEP, BEEEEEEEEEP, BEEEEEEEEEP, BEEEEEEEEEP!

I opened my eyes to the sound of the alarm on my cellphone. I grabbed it quickly and pressed snooze. I closed my eyes and tried to let my mind drift back onto that little bed in that cozy house with Rory…

Jesus, I had it fucking bad.

* * *

"Caesar, I'm going upstairs for a few before heading out. I'll be back later tonight to help you close!" I yelled over the customer chatter.

"Sure, little boss."

"I told you to stop calling me that!" I growled.

"Sorry, little boss."

"Agh!" I responded and rolled my eyes before making my way up the stairs to my current living quarters.

I grabbed some clean clothes and headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower to get the diner grease off me. I glanced at the clock once I was dressed and realize I was running late. I pulled on my shoes, grabbed the gifts for Harper and Rory, shoved my wallet into my pocket, and headed down the stairs.

As I walked the five-ish minutes to Lorelai and Luke's house, I was reminded of some of my memories of Rory. Making out with her near Gypsy's (our first official kiss as a couple), bidding on her basket at whatever stupid auction it was over at the gazebo, walking through the streets and being so distracted by kissing that we were almost hit by cars…

I hated this town, but the one good thing about it was her… Well, and Luke. And _sometimes_ my mom.

I shook my head. Being back here was making me so nostalgic. I would be leaving somewhat soon, and Rory and I would go back to talking only when we ran into each other because of Luke and her mom or because of her book.

But man, that vivid dream I had about us this morning kept lingering in my mind all day… Of course, I had fantasies about Rory years ago, but this was the first one in a long time…

I shook my head. _Never going to happen. Let it go_. I told myself.

As I approached the house, I heard loud music coming from the backyard, so I ventured to the side of the house and saw all the people I thought I'd successfully avoided on the walk over here. _Great_.

There was a huge jumping balloon, someone singing karaoke in the corner on a huge projector screen, a creepy ass clown making balloon animals, and an ice cream sundae bar.

I wasn't fucking exaggerating.

I made my way onto the porch where I saw Luke propped up on the couch that was probably moved outside for him. There was an ottoman that his broken leg was resting on. He looked haggard, but much better than I'd seen him in weeks. His crutches were resting next to him. He had been permitted by his doctors to move around a little bit the last couple of days with them.

"Hey, old man." I said with a head nod as I sat down next to him.

"Jess, hey." Luke responded with a raspy voice and a reciprocal nod.

"How ya feelin' today?" I asked.

He scowled and used his arms to gesture toward the chaos that was occurring in the yard in front of him. "How do you think I'm doing with this zoo of crazy? I miss my diner. I used to be able to escape there when events like this were happening."

I snorted. "You're the one who married the zookeeper."

He rolled his eyes but conceded easily. "You're right. _I'm_ the crazy one."

Lorelai popped her head out from the kitchen. "Hey, hey, hey, none of that grumpyness today, mister. You knew what you were getting into when you married me. Now, plaster a smile on your face and at least look like you're having a good time. Harper specifically requested it."

Luke frowned and rolled his eyes again. "Oh, _much_ better," Lorelai said sarcastically then smiled before ducking back into the kitchen.

"Jesse! Jesse! You came!" I turned to the right and saw a decked-out Harper running toward me. She was wearing a rainbow tutu, tights, a bright yellow shirt, a gallon of make-up, and glitter seemed to cover every inch of her body.

"Jesse!" Harper yelled again as she scrambled onto my lap. She was the _only_ person that could get away with adding an "e" to the end of my name. She and Rory had come to the diner twice a day the past week and, for some reason, this kid took a huge liking to me. I guess it was mutual, though, because I was pretty fond of her too.

"Of course, I came, kid," I said, holding out my free fist for her to bump it with her own. My other arm was around her back, steadying her on my lap. She was bouncing with excited energy. "Are you having fun?"

"Yes! Best party ever," she said as she brought her hand toward her mouth and sucked on a Ring Pop that was attached to her index finger.

" _Jesse_ loves parties," Luke chimed in beside me.

I narrowed my eyes as I turned to glare at him. "Don't."

"Oh, c'mon, _Jesse_ , I know you wanna go sing karaoke."

"Yes! Please, please, please! Will you?" Harper asked excitedly, kicking her legs up and down.

I sighed. If Harper wasn't here, I would have some choice words for Luke. "Maybe later. But," I reached down and grabbed her present, a sealed envelope. "Why don't you open your present from me instead?"

"Ah! Okay!" She said loudly before grabbing the envelope and ripping it open. She pulled out the piece of paper and scrutinized it.

"Do you know what it is?" I asked her. She shook her head. "Your mom told me that you wanted us to go on an ice cream date, so this is an invitation for the three of us to go next weekend."

Her eyes got wide as she looked toward the backdoor of the house that was open to the kitchen. "Mama! You told him I think he's cute!?"

Rory appeared from the kitchen and walked over to us with a smile on her face. Her bright blue eyes were sparkling with amusement. "Well, I had to for us to go on a date with him!"

Harper pouted then looked at me. "Well, my mom said you were _very_ cute, I just said cute."

We all started laughing. "So, is that a yes to our date next weekend?" I asked.

Harper nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Harper, I think your friends want you to go in the jumping balloon with them," Rory said as she nodded toward a group of little kids that were waving Harper over. Harper jumped off my lap and ran over to them.

Once she was gone, Rory came and sat on the arm rest of the couch. She placed her hand on my shoulder. "That was super sweet, thank you."

"No problem," I said before leaning down and holding up a giftbag to her. "I got you something, too."

She looked at me incredulously for a second before taking the bag and opening it. She pulled out the bottle of tequila and grinned. "Oh, an adult present for the after party."

"I thought it could come in handy. I know I'm going to need a drink at some point with all these mental patients." I said, referring to the crazy townies.

She laughed. "We'll crack it open later, _Jesse_."

"Ugh, not you, too." I groaned. Rory and Luke both laughed.

"It's never going to get old." Rory smiled.

Right after Rory's comment, I noticed her smile fade as her expression turned into a concerned one instead. She was looking past Luke and me, out into the crowd of people. I turned and followed her gaze, wondering what caught her attention.

I didn't see anything at first, but then I finally noticed what she was focused on – Harper's father. I couldn't even remember his name. I just knew that he was a pompous, self-righteous dick. Even clingy, obsessive Dean would have been a better choice for Rory than that patriarchal, disingenuous clown. He was a better clown than the one making balloon animals over in the corner of the yard.

"Logan?" Luke asked. "Did you invite him?"

"No," Rory answered. "I mean, I didn't not invite him, but I didn't actually invite him either. I didn't think he would come, regardless."

I watched as Harper bounded over to him, a smile plastered on her face. They embraced in a hug. Rory stood up and started walking over to them.

"What's the story with them?" I asked Luke once Rory was far enough away.

"I'm not the most up-to-date with Rory's personal life, but I guess he's still married to that French heiress and lives in London with her. I think I heard Lorelai mention the other day that she's pregnant – his wife."

"He still has contact with Harper?" I asked as I saw Rory greet Logan. Logan opened his arms up to Rory, and she hesitantly embraced him quickly with a questioning expression. Logan kissed her head. Ugh. I rolled my eyes.

"I think it's pretty infrequent… He calls like once a month and checks in, offers to send money, then they don't hear from him again for a while. He rarely comes to visit. I'm surprised Harper recognized him, honestly."

Rory used to hate guys like him. He's the reason she took a break from Yale all those years ago, and he's the reason she and her mom stopped talking for several months. He cheated on Rory, too, which made no fucking sense to me because she was the textbook definition of perfect. And now he was, apparently, a pretty absent, non-existent father to Harper. He needed to get lost.

I watched as Rory bent down to say something to Harper. Harper skipped off, back toward her friends. Rory stood up and said something to Logan before walking toward the side of the house away from everyone. He followed her.

I shifted on the couch. I felt an impulsive urge to go check on Rory and make sure everything was okay. I hated that guy and wanted to protect her from his possible theatrics. But I stayed glued to my seat instead because Rory wasn't mine to protect.

Lorelai came out from the kitchen with a plate of food that she handed to Luke. "You need to eat before I give you your medication." She said. "Don't worry, it's the healthiest stuff Sookie made today. Just eat it and don't complain for once. Please."

Luke cracked a small smile before taking the plate from her. "I've been doing pretty good so far today, haven't I?"

"You have," Lorelai agreed. "Maybe there will be a reward for that later." She smirked before leaning down to kiss him.

"Well, that's my cue to go linger somewhere else." I said before standing up and heading into the kitchen. I grabbed a plate and started filling it with some of the grown-up food there.

I heard the front door slam. "Mom!" Rory yelled before she rounded the corner into the kitchen. She looked angry, but also worried and upset. I set my plate down and automatically took a step toward her.

"Rory, what's wrong?" I asked as her eyes locked with mine for a couple seconds before she shook her head and shuffled past me and out the back door. She came inside with her mom several seconds later. They hurried past me toward the living room.

I picked up my plate and went to sit back down next to Luke on the porch. I looked around, wondering if that dickhead was still here.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!

**JPOV**

The diner was quiet as I counted the money in the cash register. I already sent Caesar home and finished cleaning everything up. I threw the receipts for the day into a money bag and shoved it in the bottom of the cash till.

It was a long day and I was beat. Waking up at 5:00 a.m. every day to open the diner was kicking my ass. Coupling that with the draining atmosphere of crazy townies today at Harper's birthday party and I was a fucking goner. I wanted nothing more than to go upstairs, read, and drink a beer.

I turned around to flip off the lights and make my way up the stairs. Someone knocked on the front door. "Jess!"

I, honestly, wouldn't have turned around for anyone else, but I knew that voice that called my name. I flipped the lights back on and hurried to unlock to door. Rory looked drained like me. She was holding the gift bag I gave her earlier and a grocery bag from Doose's.

She smiled somewhat sheepishly before quickly ranting. "I really need a friend right now. Lane's busy helping Steve and Kwan with some science project thing. My mom has her hands full with Luke. So, I thought you might be free. Harper fell asleep at my mom's, so I'm kid-free for tonight," She held up the gift bag. "Tequila has always been a good friend to me in times like these, but it didn't feel right to break this bottle open without you. I probably should have called you first. I just went to Doose's then saw the light still on and came by. Do you want me to –"

I smiled. "Rory, since when do you need an invitation to do anything?" I stepped to the side and gestured for her to come inside.

She smiled. "I didn't think you, of all people, would be opposed to the adult after party."

I laughed. "Also, can you imagine the headache I would have to endure if I didn't let you in? Even though Luke is doped up on pain meds right now, he would still lay into me about it."

"True. Luke's as loyal as they come."

I nodded. That was the fucking truth. "Well, do you want to go upstairs where it's a little more comfortable before we start our party?"

"Yeah, upstairs is good," she agreed as I switched off the lights again and led the way up. "Man, we've gotten old and lame."

"Speak for yourself."

She laughed. "Well, you don't have a kid. You're still living the bachelor life. Maybe that's the difference."

I shrugged as I unlocked the door and we made our way inside. "I would imagine being a single mom is incredibly exhausting, but Harper doesn't seem to be as big of a handful as other kids."

She put the bags down on the small table, pulled out a carton of ice cream, and the tequila. I opened a cabinet and drawer to grab us a couple of shot glasses and spoons.

"It's not bad at all. Harper is amazing. More than amazing… It's just the loneliness that sometimes takes over."

She pulled out a chair and sat down. I sat down across from her and looked at her skeptically. "What do you mean 'loneliness'? How can you be lonely when you live in this freak show of a town?"

She unscrewed the top on the tequila and filled the shot glasses. She scooted one of them closer to me. We held them up and threw them back together. I got up to grab the saltshaker on the stove for the next round. Too bad we didn't have any limes.

"Lonely as in not having someone to actually raise Harper with me. Even though it's cliché, it would be nice to have someone to do it with, you know? Someone to be my partner. Like the other day when Harper was sick. It just would have been nice if someone could've made me coffee while I made Harper soup."

"Ah, gotcha," I replied as Rory opened the ice cream and shoveled a bite into her mouth. "What happened today with that Logan guy anyway?"

Rory made a disgruntled face before swallowing her ice cream and reaching for the tequila. "I need another shot before that conversation."

While she poured another round, I licked the back of my hand and shook the salt a couple of times. I slid it toward her and she followed suit. We held up the shots. "To single moms." She smiled before we licked the salt and threw the shots back in unison.

I got up and walked over to the fridge. I pulled out a couple of beers. I opened them and set them on the table. "We are old, remember? We can't just drink straight tequila all night. We'll probably die."

She laughed. "Good thinking, grandpa." She shoveled in another bite of ice cream. I picked up my spoon and ate a bite, too.

It was strange being back in this room with Rory. So many hours we spent horizontal on that couch just a few feet away from us. Now, we were almost twenty years older, and I still wanted to be horizontal on that couch with her.

Rory took a long swig of her beer before looking at me. "Logan is… Well, Logan. I don't know. You remember him, don't you?"

"The blonde, rich, pretty boy? Yeah, I remember him _real_ well." I said sarcastically.

She frowned. "Yeah, well… I guess that's still him. We just chose different lives and those lives don't mesh well."

"You wish they did, though. Don't you?" I braced myself for her response. I was probably a masochist for asking the question.

Rory sighed as she licked the back of her hand and shook some salt onto it. She poured another shot, licked the salt, and threw the tequila back. "I wish that he and his family were different, sure. I mean, it would be nice to be with the guy I had a kid with. But I don't want him the way he is now."

"He's married with a baby on the way, right? That's what Luke told me earlier."

"Ugh, yeah. Odette, a fabulous French heiress. She's blonde, tall, and painstakingly beautiful because all she does is primp all day. Of course, she doesn't have an actual job. She's just the trophy wife." She rolled her eyes.

"Why did he show up today?" I took a long drink of my beer.

"Beats me," she said. "I mean, I would never keep Harper from him, but he also has never shown much interest in playing an active role in her life. He just calls like once a month to check-in with us, and that's it. We don't really have a place in his corporate, elite world. I feel like I should wear a scarlet letter A."

"Hey, now! Don't get hasty."

"Scarlet letter A, right here!" She pointed to her chest. "Can't you see it? Feels like it's burning through my shirt!"

I shook my head. "Nah, that's just the burn from the tequila."

She laughed then took another gulp of her beer. "You know, I often wonder if I made the right decision… When I found out I was pregnant, I considered telling Logan and trying to have a life with him. If I asked him to then, I think he would have left Odette… But there was part of me that could never see Logan fully fitting into my life."

"Because he's a total dick?"

"You don't even know him." She accused.

"Rory, he's the reason you took a break from Yale! He also cheated on you! Sorry if I don't want to be BFFs with the guy." I said sourly before pouring us both another shot. We threw them back quickly.

"I also stole a yacht with him and got arrested… I don't know if you know that story."

I leaned forward. That was news to me. "You have my interest. This I've _got_ to hear."

She smiled. "Yeah, that happened before I decided to take a break from Yale… I was interning with Logan's dad at a newspaper. He told me I 'didn't have it,' that I wouldn't be a good journalist. I took it pretty hard."

"Jesus, you just keep tallying up points against the guy. He's a _real_ winner."

She shoveled in another bite of ice cream. "Yeah… I gotta say, I think my mom hated him more than you. That's saying something."

I laughed. "I don't think any mother has ever loathed their daughter's boyfriend more than your mom hated me."

Rory laughed, too. "What about you, Jess? Do you have a big, fancy life to get back to in Philadelphia?"

"If by 'fancy' you mean a single bedroom apartment full of solitude and books, then yes."

"No special lady friends?"

"Lady friends?" I chuckled. "No, no lady friends." Honestly, I hadn't really had any real relationships since Rory. I've dated a few women and had some one-night stands, but nothing remotely serious.

"Don't you want to settle down one day with someone?" She asked.

I sat back in my chair. "If I meet the right person, sure. But I'm not holding my breath."

Rory drank more of her beer before smirking at me. "You know, you're a lot more like Luke than you think."

"You take that back!" I yelled playfully at her.

She laughed. "Seriously, Jess. Think about it – you're both hermits. You both have this hard, don't-mess-with-me outer layer, but you're both big 'ol softies on the inside. You're both incredibly dependable, like knights in shining armor! Where's your horse? Where's your tights?" She looked around the room theatrically.

I laughed. "First of all, I think you're drunk. Second of all, I'd be way cooler than just a knight in shining armor."

"The drunk part might be getting true," she reached for the tequila again and poured herself a fifth shot. She started to pour another for me, but I put my hand over the glass and shook my head. She shrugged and downed the liquid in her shot glass after licking the salt on her hand.

"But seriously," Rory continued after the shot. "Luke's the best guy I know. So that was me extending that same compliment to you."

Probably premeditated by the alcohol, I reached across the table and placed my hand on top of hers. She looked down at our hands then back up at me. "Rory," I started, but felt some anxiety creep up. I reached for my beer and took a long swig. "I really don't deserve that compliment. I wasn't the greatest guy back when we were dating."

Her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was a jerk. No better than Logan. Well, yes, I was. I never cheated on you, but I wasn't much better. I'm –"

"Jess –" Rory tried to cut me off.

"Wait, let me finish," I interjected as I gently squeezed her hand. "If I don't, I never will… I shouldn't have been so closed off to you about everything that I was going through. I should have let you in. _Really_ let you in. I was scared, so I pushed you away. I also shouldn't have asked you to run away with me so spontaneously. And, the biggest thing, … I should have never made you feel pressured about having sex. The entire thing at that guy's party… I think his name was Kyle? Whatever it was, I was a complete asshole. And I just wanted you to know that I am sorry. For all of it."

Rory was staring at me, kind of dumbfounded. "I… I… Yeah, I can't formulate a sentence yet. It's the alcohol and the fact that Jess Mariano just opened up to me about his feelings. I must be dreaming. Or dying. What is happening?"

"All the years of therapy have really paid off." I joked.

Rory flipped her hand over and wrapped her fingers around my hand. "Jess, we were so young when all that stuff happened… I don't hold any of it against you now. No regrets. Don't you remember what I wrote about you in my book?"

I smiled at the memory of reading the "Jess" chapter in her novel. I recalled one of my favorite passages:

_If people were like the weather, Jess would have been a tornado. He was wildly unpredictable and full of adventure. Our relationship was a passionate whirlwind, an almost-fairytale, a wonderful perhaps. But, just like a real-life tornado, Jess left my heart in demolition when he left._

_Despite the pain, I have absolutely no regrets. Jess taught me what love really is. I have never loved anyone the way I loved Jess Mariano. And even though our romance was never fully explored, never fully lived out, a piece of me will always ponder that wonderful possibility._

_I would have risked everything for Jess. In fact, I did many times. He always knew my heart, often before I knew it myself. Everything was easy, carefree, and utterly_ right _with him. Jess was just too apprehensive to fully open up to me. My hope for him is that, one day, he will feel safe enough to wholeheartedly let someone all the way in because Jess has an overabundance of love in his heart to offer to the right person._

"How could I forget?" I asked. "You called me a destructive tornado."

Her eyes widened. "I did not! I was describing how you came into my life and flipped it upside down. That's the best type of love – the kind that is thrilling, powerful, and all-consuming, just like a tornado."

I kept getting distracted by the feel of our hands and the buzzing in my head from the tequila. "I know, Rory. I was just giving you a hard time."

"Okay, good." She calmed as she reached for her spoon, but clumsily dropped it. I leaned over and picked it up.

"Have you eaten anything besides this ice cream?" I asked.

"I ate stuff at Harper's party."

I glanced at the clock above the stove. "That was hours ago."

"Then no… What's downstairs?" Her eyes lit up. Those deep blue crystals that always made me melt. Geez, I _was_ drunk.

"Well, let's go find out." I stood up from the table. Rory stood up, too, but stumbled forward. I caught her and wrapped my arm around her waist.

"See, knight in shining armor!" She yelled as she wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

I laughed. "Hold that compliment until we both get down the stairs in one piece. It might be more of a challenge than we're anticipating."

We staggered out of the apartment together and made it down the first flight of stairs by clinging to each other. Rory tripped over the last step. I caught her quickly and she turned around to face me. Her hair fell forward and covered one of her eyes. I reached up and brushed it gently back. I was overcome with an overwhelming urge to lean forward and kiss her. It was the perfect opportunity. But we were both drunk. I didn't want to kiss her for the first time in years when we were intoxicated.

I also reminded myself that if Rory wanted this, she would make it happen. When Rory made up her mind about something, she always threw herself into it wholeheartedly; she probably wasn't sure about me yet.

Rory reached up and touched my face, too. "I meant to tell you earlier – I like the stubble," her fingers traveled to my hair. "And the longer hair."

I took in a sharp breath as I felt the yearning again – the almost irresistible desire to pull her against me, press my lips to hers, rip off her clothes, and kiss every inch of her perfect body…

I closed my eyes as she continued to run her fingers through my hair. One of my hands was still cupping her cheek and the other was still holding her hip.

When I opened my eyes, Rory whispered, "I guess we should continue our scavenger hunt for food…"

"Right," I agreed quickly as I turned around and made my way behind the order counter. Rory rummaged around for a fork and opened the lid that covered a cherry pie. She started eating out of the pie plate as I went into the kitchen and tried to scrounge something up for us.

"Fries, please!" Rory called. "And maybe burgers!"

I smiled as I began fulfilling her request. All the while, fantasies of Rory danced in my head. I couldn't stop them, especially now that I was pretty drunk. She was just _so_ intoxicating.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!

**JPOV**

After I finished cooking our burgers and fries, we clumsily made our way back upstairs to eat. Rory said we should just stay downstairs, but I didn't want any of the _charming_ little townies to walk by, which would result in us being part of the rumor mill tomorrow morning.

"If I could eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would, undoubtedly, be Luke's burgers and fries. I mean, what does he even do to them to make them this appetizing? If I could, I would make love to this meal right here, right now. In fact, in my mind, I already am. I just need coffee now to make this dinner complete." Rory rambled as she dipped a fry in ketchup and shoveled it into her mouth.

"I am _not_ making coffee for you at this hour. Plus, coffee will take away the sensual flavor of the burger." I pushed a cup of water closer to her.

She rolled her eyes. "Coffee makes everything better, including Luke's sexualized burgers."

I laughed as I took the last bite of my own burger. I grabbed my beer and finished it, too. "Beer is a little better with burgers, in my opinion."

"Yeah. You're probably right… But I bet tequila is even more quenching," she smirked before lunging for the bottle. I grabbed it from her quickly and reached behind me to set it on the counter.

I shook my head. "I think the tequila's been friendly enough tonight."

She pouted then reached for her beer and drank it instead. "I am not protesting because there are two of you spinning around and another shot might make three of your instead of just two. But that would just mean there would be more of you to love. I mean, three of you? What a lucky lady I would be."

"Geez," I smirked at her. "You're flirty when you're drunk."

"Me!?" She screeched. "You're the one that was giving me kiss-me eyes downstairs before you got us food!" She pointed her finger at me accusingly.

Shit. She felt that dichotomy, too? The yearning to close the distance between us, but the pull to keep things light and on a strictly friends-only level?

"What the fuck are 'kiss-me eyes'?" I asked.

"You know – the look that you give someone before you want to kiss them. The come-hither eyes."

"You think I was giving you 'come-hither eyes'?" I laughed. "What kind of guys are you dating? Have you been shacking up with the weirdos from my mom's Renaissance festivals?"

She laughed, too. "Fine, maybe _I_ was the one giving you the 'come-hither eyes,' I don't know. I'm too drunk to properly analyze the situation." I smiled and shook my head before she continued, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"What's up, drunky?" I asked.

She looked serious for a second. "How come you never… I don't know, tried to pursue something with me again once you got your life together?"

Well, now I was sober and perplexed as fuck after that drunken question. "What do you mean?"

"You left me without ever saying good-bye, you bombarded me with the I-love-you crap and left before I could even respond. You showed up at my dorm and asked me to run away with you… All of that is when you were tornado-Jess… And then I don't see you again until almost two years later, and you magically have your life together… But you didn't pursue me then."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "Did you want me to?" I asked. She shrugged noncommittally.

I thought I'd made my feelings extremely clear for Rory all those years ago. I would have dropped everything to be with her in a heartbeat. Being the coward, lovestruck loser that I am, I probably still would (even now) if she asked.

Once my life was more together, I did go to see her, but that's when she was with Pretty Boy. I didn't want to piss all over her happiness, even if it was with that pompous jerkoff. Plus, I did try when she came to Truncheon Books for my open house in Philadelphia…

"Rory, if you want something, you make it happen. That's one of your signature personality traits."

"Feminism. Bah!" She frowned jokingly then laughed.

"And I _did_ try. I thought you and Pretty Boy broke up, so I kissed you when you came to Philadelphia."

Her eyes got wider for half a second before she reached for her beer and look another long swig. "Shoot, you're right."

I laughed. "You didn't want me to pursue you."

"I don't know about that… I was just too infatuated with Logan at that point... I'm sorry, Jess. I should have never toyed with your emotions like that, trying to make Logan envious by kissing you. That was exceptionally childish."

I waved my hand nonchalantly. "Don't sweat it, Rory. We were young. We both made mistakes."

"Thanks, Jess." Rory smiled. She titled her beer back and finished the contents of the bottle before setting it back down on the table. We were both finished with our food, too.

She put her hands down on the table and attempted to stand up before tripping on the leg of her chair. I stood up and tried to steady her by reaching for her arm. "I'm guessing I probably shouldn't walk home if I can't even stand up from the table." She laughed.

"Crash here," I suggested. "You can take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

Rory nodded. "That's probably a good idea."

I put my arm around her back and guided her over to the bed. She plopped down and immediately curled up on her side in a fetal position. I reached down and took off her shoes before pulling the comforter up over her.

"Jess," Rory mumbled into the pillow. Her eyes were closed, and her hair was scattered all around her face.

"Hmm?" I responded.

"Will you sleep next to me? And I mean, 'sleep' in the most innocent sense of the word… Like I said earlier, I just don't want to be alone." Her voice was muffled and slurred as she spoke the words.

Could I say no to an invitation like that despite my better judgement?

No, I fucking couldn't. Sleeping in bed next to the girl of my dreams? I would be certifiably insane to pass up the opportunity.

"Sure," I answered before kicking off my own shoes.

I grabbed some pajama pants from the top drawer of the dresser and went into the bathroom to quickly change out of my jeans and brush my teeth. I cleaned up in the kitchen quickly – putting the dishes in the sink and the ice cream in the freezer. I turned off the lights then crawled under the covers with Rory on the opposite side of the bed.

She sounded like she was asleep. Her breathing was even, and her eyes were still closed. I smiled to myself briefly. It was kind of nice to imagine this being our little reality together – eating dinner then climbing into bed to go to sleep.

Rory stirred, so I glanced over. She was scooting closer to me. She rested her head just below my shoulder and snuggled into my side. I shifted my arm, so it was wrapped around her. She nuzzled herself closer.

Jesus, had I ever wished for anything more than this – Rory and I sleeping together in bed? Her perfect body pressed into my side, her hair smelling like strawberries…

She lifted her leg and tangled it in with own. Fuck. I had to tell my body to calm down because I was getting a little _too_ excited with this cuddling action. When was the last time I'd gotten laid? Fucking months ago. Not that that would have stopped this physical reaction, anyway. Rory had a unique way of luring me in and making my body react in… less than chivalrous ways.

Being unable to help myself, I turned my neck to the side and kissed her head before resting my chin on top of the place I kissed. She sighed, sounding content. I smiled as I held her a little tighter and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Jesse, Jesse!" Harper yelled as she shot through the door of the diner and straight toward my legs as I set food down on a table for a couple that didn't look too enthused by the sudden burst of noise from the little human that was making it difficult for me to walk.

I bent down to Harper's level and touched her little, button nose with my index finger. "Is your mom giving you coffee again?"

Harper put a finger over her lips. "Shhh!" She loudly shushed me. "I'm not supposed to, but it's just _so_ good! And mama's cup is always just sitting there…"

I laughed then rolled my eyes as Rory came through the diner door and walked the few steps over to us. "Your mama's not very smart for doing that," I said to Harper as I stood up.

Rory smiled as she pulled me in for a quick embrace and kissed my cheek. Well, _that_ was a new way of saying hello. "Uh-oh, what did I do now?" Rory asked.

"Jesse," Harper frowned up at me as she plastered a stern expression on her face. "It's _our_ secret, right?"

I pressed my lips together to stifle a laugh. "Yes, you're right. It's just between us, don't worry, kiddo." I held my fist out to her, and she bumped it with her own.

Rory huffed playfully. "I don't know how I feel about the two of you having a secret behind my back. Jess, the notorious rebel and Harper, the devious little _princess_ that no one can say no to. Seems like a frightening combo."

I smirked at them as I walked out of earshot and into the storage room for a second to pull out some extra napkins. They were still prattling back and forth when I came out and set them behind the counter. I walked into the kitchen, washed my hands, and told Caesar I was leaving.

"Okay, are you guys ready?" I asked as I walked back over to Rory and Harper. Today was our ice cream date, the present I'd given to Harper for her birthday. It was kind of a present for me, too, if I was being honest, because it meant spending the afternoon with Rory. And Harper really was growing on me more and more.

Harper grabbed both of our hands and hauled us toward the exit. Rory and I willingly let her lead the way to weirdo-Taylor's ice cream shop right next door.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Harper squealed. "I want five scoops of ice cream with sprinkles and cherries and hot fudge!"

"In cooones?" I asked as I smirked at Rory to see if she got my reference while we walked.

Rory smiled and shook her head. She remembered. "Ice cream _cones_ are only permitted if we aren't driving." I laughed.

"Huh? I thought we were going to walk to Larson's Dock?" Harper questioned as we walked into the store.

"When Jess and I were younger, we got ice cream _cones_ and got into a little car accident," Rory explained.

Harper's eyes got wide as she looked up at us. "Were you okay?"

"Of course, honey. Everyone was fine. Jess was just making a joke about it because it's funny now," Rory said quickly as she flashed another smile at me. "Now, what kind of ice cream do you want?" Rory asked Harper as she told her the different flavors.

We all ordered and paid for our ice cream. Rory and Harper each got two scoops and Harper's was dripping with hot fudge and sprinkles.

"Larson's Dock now?" Harper asked.

"So persistent." I commented.

Rory laughed before looking at me. "Grandpa Lukey told Harper the story about pushing you into the lake… He also may have told us a hysterical little story about _someone_ getting beak-ed by the malicious old swan that lives there."

Harper started giggled uncontrollably with chocolate syrup all over her lips. Rory joined in while I rolled my eyes.

I was going to murder Luke for this. That shit was supposed to get taken to his grave. Delirious old man really must be bored just sitting at home all fucking day.

"Geez," I growled. "Well, grandpa _Lukey_ is gonna have a lot of explaining to do for divulging that story." We left the ice cream shop and started walking in the direction of the dock.

"Hey, sugars!" One of the crazy townies waved as we walked. I could never remember this one's name. I just remembered that she lived next to Lorelai and had one of the raspiest voices I'd ever heard. "Ah, well isn't this just the sweetest little thing – Rory and Jess walking around town with little doll-faced Harper. The three of you look like you could be on the cover of a magazine!"

"It's good to see you, Babette." Rory smiled at her. Babette – that was her name.

"Hi!" Harper exclaimed in-between her bites of ice cream.

"Hi there, sweetie!" Babette said loudly as she beamed at Harper. "Rory, honey, I've been meaning to stop by the Gazette to talk to you. Lulu wanted me to ask you to print something in the paper about needing chaperones for Stars Hollow's prom in a couple of weeks. I guess not very many parents have volunteered for the task."

That triggered a memory I hadn't thought about in a while… Another thing I probably needed to apologize to Rory for. She'd been so excited to go to Stars Hollow's senior prom with Lane, and I ditched her because I couldn't get tickets due to not graduating.

I saw Rory's gaze flicker to me for a half-second before looking back to Babette. Was she remembering, too? "Oh, sure. I'll get that added to the paper next week." She smiled.

"Thank ya, sugar! Well, I'll see you dolls later!" Babette exclaimed before settling her gaze on me. "I expect that all my garden gnomes will stay in their rightful place while you're here?"

I quieted a laugh by pressing my lips together tightly for a second before responding. "No promises, but I'll do my best."

Babette rolled her eyes at me then waved as she walked past us. "Garden gnomes?" Rory asked with an inquisitive expression as we crossed the street.

I let out a laugh that time. "I may or may not have stolen one of her precious little gnomes back when I first moved here. Apparently, she's never gotten over it."

Rory exaggerated a gasp. "I cannot believe you swiped Pierpont!"

"What the heck is a 'Pierpont'?"

"That's Babette's gnome!" Harper answered. "Everyone knows that. C'mon, Jesse!"

Rory laughed. "Yeah, c'mon, _Jesse_!"

"Geez," I laughed as I remembered Luke storming into the apartment and finding the stupid gnome while yelling at me over a ton of other things. His reaction was well-deserved. But I was still going to _beak_ him for telling the swan story. Good thing he had some good pain meds right now from the car accident.

We finally made it to the dock without any other interruptions from the lovely people that lived in this whack-job of a town. We all sat down and let our legs dangle off the ledge. This was my favorite little spot in this town, so I was glad Harper wanted to come her, despite it being motivated by Luke's story.

"What's the prom thing for the newspaper, mama?" Harper asked as we continued to eat our ice cream.

"The prom is a big dance that people in high school go to before they graduate." Rory explained.

Harper nodded. "Oh! I've seen pictures of people going to dances. They usually wear big, pretty dresses!"

Rory smiled. "Yep, or tuxedos."

"What was your prom like, mama?"

I heard Rory sigh before she glanced at me sympathetically. I guessed that she didn't want to get me in trouble with Harper, but she didn't want to lie to her, either.

"Your mom didn't go to prom." I answered.

Harper turned at looked at me. "But why?"

"Well, I was supposed to go to the prom with your mom, but I had to leave town."

"But why were you going to the prom with her?" Harper's little eyebrows pulled together in confusion. I looked to Rory for that one. I didn't know how to answer.

"Well, _Jesse_ and I have been friends for a really long time, remember?" Ugh, the "Jesse" shit was getting old.

"Oh, right." Harper said. She seemed satisfied with that explanation for now. "Are you sad that you didn't go, mama?"

I hyper-focused on Rory to see her reaction to Harper's question. She shifted her weight before looking down at the water for a second. When she looked back up and over to Harper, I think I saw a hint of sadness in her expression. "No, honey. It was such a long time ago."

Harper seemed satisfied with her response, but she hadn't fooled me. She didn't seem incredibly bothered by the fact that she didn't go, but there was still some unhappiness there. And it was because of me.

Harper nodded then looked at me. "Okay, tell us the swan story now, Jess!" Harper said excitedly as she shoveled in her last bite of ice cream. Rory reached for a napkin and held it to Harper for her to wipe the chocolate off her face.

I resentfully recapped the swan attack story for them, as well as the story about Luke pushing me into the lake. They both laughed. Rory told Harper the story about me bidding on her basket at that stupid town fundraiser and how we ate her disgusting lunch here on the dock before going to get pizza.

After all the reminiscence, we finally decided to head back into town. Rory said she was going over to her mom and Luke's for a little bit, and I had to go help Caesar with the dinner rush at the diner. As I told both of them bye, since we were walking in different directions, Harper promised she would see me tomorrow morning for breakfast.

I continued walking back toward the diner. I still felt like shit over the prom thing with Rory. I mean, it was almost twenty years ago, but I hated that I'd caused her any type of grief. As I walked by the Stars Hollow Gazette, I had a cheesy idea pop up in my mind. My first reaction was to dismiss it altogether, but… Rory deserved better than my old, spontaneously haphazard self.

What did I have to lose? Rory wasn't really _mine_ to lose, anyway… I walked through the door of the Stars Hollow Gazette to put my plan into action.

I was gonna have to turn on the charm for this little charade to work. Esther, the lady sitting behind a desk as I walked in, hated my guts.

She scowled as she saw me. "What do you want, punk?"

I sighed. "Nice to see you, too, Esther. Can you help me with something? It's for Rory."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!

**RPOV**

"Harper, honey, get your shoes on! We're running late!"

I scrambled into the kitchen and grabbed Harper's backpack. I shoved her lunch box inside, thankful that I'd taken the time to assemble her lunch last night.

"Mama, why're we always running late?" Harper asked as she sat down on the floor beside me to tie her shoe.

"Because we like beauty sleep. It's what keeps our skin smooth and pretty, along with coffee and donuts. We won't be able to have either of those things if we don't hurry, so chop chop!"

Harper smiled. "I want French toast."

"Then let's go!" I said as I held Harper's backpack toward her. She turned around and put her arms through the straps. We scurried toward the front door where I grabbed my purse and sunglasses.

Harper was already out the front door. She reached up to hold my hand as we hurried toward the direction of Luke's to grab breakfast before I dropped her off at preschool and went to the Stars Hollow Gazette.

As we walked by Stars Hollow High, Harper skipped in front of me, ran toward the marquee, and focused on reading the message. As I caught up to her, she turned to look at me. "This says something about prom?"

"Yes," I answered. "The sign says prom is in two days – on Saturday."

"Hmmm," she pressed her lips together and tried not to smile before sprinting away from me.

"Harper!" I ran after her and reached for her hand as we crossed the street and continued our trek to Luke's. "How come you've been so obsessed with prom this week? You've been asking me questions non-stop."

She shrugged noncommittally, and I immediately felt wary. "What's going on, Harper?"

"Nothing! I don't know! I'm just hungry, hurry up!" She yanked my hand to tow me behind her.

We finally made it to Luke's where Harper bounced over to a corner table where she hung her backpack on the back of the chair then sat down. She looked around the room excitedly. I laughed as I went to sit next to her. Breakfast at Luke's had become her favorite part of the day lately because she loved seeing Jess. And I couldn't blame her… It was becoming my favorite part of the day, too.

Ever since I'd stayed the night about two weeks ago after our little tequila binge, I was having a hard time getting Jess off my mind. He really had changed since we were teenagers. Well, actually, he might have transformed in some ways, but, in others, he was the same old Jess, too…

The same Jess, but with more vulnerability, more communication, more responsibility… He was still passionate, incredibly intelligent, and broody… He was also _quite_ cute with that longer hair and stubble/beard thing he had going on… And the way he always smiled crookedly when he saw me…

"Mama!" Harper said loudly to get my attention. She waved her hands in front of my face, startling me from my daydream. I turned and made eye contact with her. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom."

"Okay, honey," I responded as she ran toward the back room.

"Rory," Kirk turned around from the bar stool several feet to my left. "What's with the random quote in the newspaper today?"

My brows furrowed together in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Before Kirk could respond, my cellphone started ringing. I unzipped my purse and dug my phone out before answering the call. "Hey, mom."

"Hey, kid! What's the deal with the thing in the newspaper?"

This morning was getting more and more confounding, and I hadn't had enough coffee yet. "Kirk just asked me about that, too. What thing in the newspaper?"

"You haven't seen it?"

"Well, yes, I did yesterday when I approved the layout… Did I miss something?"

I looked around the diner, trying to locate a newspaper somewhere. I spotted one on a table near the other corner. "Hold on, I see a paper sitting on a table across the diner." I walked over, grabbed it, and started scanning. Everything looked the way it was supposed to…

"Page 3, hon." My mom said.

I sat back down at our table and flipped the pages open. I skimmed down the third page. The top of the article was discussing Stars Hollow's prom – the theme, how to buy tickets, etc. Then I saw it, right in the middle of the page in big, bold letters, right underneath the information about prom:

**"People like us don't go out at night cause people like them see us for what we are." – Charles Dickens**

I felt my eyes widen in bewilderment. I hadn't approved this random quote in the newspaper yesterday when I was editing and approving the layout. I mean, it _was_ humorous underneath the information about prom night, but I still didn't understand the significance, and there was no other context.

"I don't know what this is," I said into the phone to my mom.

"So, you didn't _intentionally_ print a sardonic quote underneath the information for prom, arguably the best night of a teenager's life? Who raised you!?" She asked sarcastically.

I laughed once. "No, I don't know how this got here. I mean, it's definitely amusing, in a dark humored way, sure… But I still don't understand how it ended up in the paper." I folded the newspaper back up. I would ask Esther and Charlie once I got to the Gazette.

Harper zoomed across the room, back toward our table and plopped down in her chair. "Did you see the newspaper?" She asked with unmasked excitement.

I eyed her skeptically. "How do you know about that?"

She shrugged. "I heard people talking about it when I walked to the bathroom."

Harper was lying. I was sure of it. "Mom, let me call you later, okay? Bye."

"Bye, kid. Let me know once you figure out the mystery!"

I ended the call and tilted my head as I scrutinized the smirk on Harper's face. "What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing, mama." She said as she shook her head, trying to look innocent.

I was still contemplating, trying to put the pieces of the mystery together when I looked up and saw Jess standing by our table. As I looked up at him, my body internally jolted, causing butterflies to swim around in my stomach once I saw his crooked grin. He set a mug down on the table and poured coffee in it for me.

"I heard there's an 'Artful Dodger' who's wreaked some havoc on your newspaper this morning." He commented amusingly.

I groaned in frustration. "Yes, apparently so. Did you see it?"

I reached for my coffee and took a huge gulp. Maybe more caffeine would help my brain cells make the connection I was missing – someone at the paper approved this quote for some reason, and Harper seemed to know something about it…

Jess chuckled for a second. "Yeah, I heard a few customers talking about it this morning."

"I want pancakes, please!" Harper beamed at Jess enthusiastically.

"And a couple donuts. Thanks, Jess."

"Comin' right up," Jess responded before walking back toward the kitchen. I leaned forward, with my elbow on the table, and rested my chin on my hand, still trying to disentangle the mix-up. I wasn't having any luck coming up with an explanation, and Harper's smug expression was far from helpful.

. . . . . . . . . .

I dropped Harper off at preschool after breakfast before heading to the Gazette. I asked Esther and Charlie if they knew anything about the random quote in the newspaper, and they both denied having any knowledge of it. I rolled my eyes at them for their lack of assistance and questioned my own sanity. Maybe I'd accidentally copied and pasted it from somewhere and overlooked it? I mean, I _was_ tired yesterday. Regardless, I felt like there was more to it than that – I just wasn't finding the correlation.

Either way, I focused on the relevant news around town today for tomorrow's issue. I recently talked Taylor into us building an online presence, since most people rely on the internet for their news nowadays. So, I focused on setting up the website and getting the Stars Hollow Gazette up on social media platforms.

The day soon got away from me, and it was time for me to pick Harper up from school. I closed everything up at the Gazette and walked across town to her small school. Harper skipped up to me and wrapped her arms around my legs. I bent down to pull her into a tight embrace. I kissed her forehead. "I missed you today, kiddo!"

"I missed you, too, mama. I'm hungry! Can we get ice cream with grandma?"

I laughed. "Yes, I was thinking the same thing, actually."

She held my hand as we crossed the street and walked toward my mom and Luke's house. Harper chatted away about her day. Her best friend, Lily, let her use her new markers that had sparkles in them, and her other friend, Ben, pushed her on the swings.

"Did you figure out the newspaper thing, mama!?" Harper asked as we were walking up the driveway.

I frowned at her. "Nope, I must have just made a mistake."

Harper scrunched up her face in aggravation as we walked up the steps and made our way inside. "Think about it harder!"

"Harper, what do you know about it?" I demanded as we walked into the kitchen. My mom was sitting in a chair in the kitchen, flipping through a magazine. She looked up at us as we walked in and smiled. Harper ran over to her and plopped down on her lap.

"I don't know anything. Except…" She paused then reached up and pinched her lips closed with her index finger and thumb.

"Except what!?" I insisted.

"What don't you know?" My mom asked, curling her head forward to glance at Harper in her lap.

Harper's cheeks turned red. "I promised I wouldn't say anything," she said in a sad, quiet voice. "It's kind of like a secret."

"Who told you to keep a secret from me?" Now, I was getting angry instead of just skeptical. Someone told Harper to keep something from me? My mom looked up at me and shrugged with a semi-concerned, confused expression on her face, too.

Harper pressed her lips together for a second then shrugged. "My friend."

"Your friend…" I trailed off in thought, willing myself to make the connection I was missing.

Suddenly, it all clicked – the quote in the newspaper, where the quote was placed, Harper's reaction, everything.

I turned to my right and scurried into my old childhood bedroom. I scoured my bookshelf. I finally found it – _Oliver Twist_ by Charles Dickens. I went back into the kitchen and grabbed today's newspaper off my mom's dining room table.

"Mom, can Harper stay with you for a little bit? I think I just figured out the newspaper quote thing."

"Of course, hon. You'll have to explain it to me later."

"I will!" I yelled as I ran for the front door, down the stairs, and back toward the center of town.

I was out of breath once I got to the gazebo, so I slowed down to a walk until I was pushing open the door to Luke's. I frantically scanned the room until I saw Jess coming down the stairs from the apartment. I walked over to him quickly, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and started towing him back toward the storage room.

"Rory! Wait!" He said with a laugh, but I didn't want to have this conversation in front of an audience.

Once we were in the storage room, I turned around to face him quickly. He looked at the book and newspaper in my hand and smirked. "Geez, it took you long enough to get the reference."

I frantically shoved the newspaper into his chest. "What is this, Jess? _You_ did this, right? Why? As a joke? Well, it's not funny!" I took a deep breath and turned away from him. I paced a few steps before turning around once I got a second wind. "You know, I really wanted to go to prom with you when we were younger, and now you're mocking that in the newspaper and asking Harper to keep the 'joke' from me? How juvenile are you!?"

"Rory –" Jess started to say, but I cut him off.

"You _really_ thought this out, too, didn't you? I mean, using the _Oliver Twist_ reference from when we first met, and I called you the 'Dodger'? You knew _exactly_ how to get under my skin and bring up all the hurt I haven't felt in years from you just bailing on me!"

"Rory!" Jess took a step closer to me and put his hands on my shoulders before intensely looking into my eyes. "This wasn't me mocking you," he sighed before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out two little pieces of paper. He held them out for me to read. "The newspaper thing was my way of asking you if you wanted to chaperone the Stars Hollow High's prom with me this weekend… I know we didn't get to go all those years ago. This would be a redo of sorts."

"What?" I blinked a few times, trying to understand. I felt my anger dissipate.

The pieces of paper were prom tickets – the prom tickets he wasn't able to get twenty years ago because he didn't graduate. But he had them now, and he wanted to go to prom with me? Like a do-over? He put that quote in the newspaper as a way to ask me, not hurt me?

I looked up at Jess, and he swallowed somewhat nervously. "I didn't mean to make you upset by doing it this way… I thought being cunning would score me extra points for you to say yes," he laughed. "I told Harper a couple days ago because I didn't think she'd be able to keep the secret, and it would be fun for you to find out from her if you didn't understand the newspaper reference."

"How did you even do this? How did you print the quote in the paper?"

"Esther. There was groveling involved. It wasn't pretty."

I laughed. "She loathes you. I would have loved to see you sway her into helping you with something like this."

"Well?" Jess asked.

I looked at him questioningly. "Well, what?"

He held the prom tickets up with that crooked smile that did _things_ to me. "Rory, will you chaperone the very mundane, very cliche, very musically-challenged Stars Hollow prom with me this weekend?"

I felt my face light up as I grinned. "Really? This isn't some kind of joke?"

"Not a joke," he said solemnly. "Do you want to go?"

I searched his eyes for a few seconds. Did I really want to go down this slippery slope with Jess again? Did I want to revisit the chaotic, haphazard, whirlpool of a relationship that left me in shambles the first time? Granted, that was years and years ago, but still…

If I said yes, did that mean this would be a date, and I could end up in pieces again when he went back to Philadelphia once Luke was feeling better? Part of me wondered if this was fate. Was this our second chance to live out what never fully ended the first time? Was he wondering all these things, too? My thoughts felt jumbled.

But as I looked up at him, with all the questions still swirling in my mind, it was as if I had no other answer than the one I muttered immediately. "Yes."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

**JPOV**

"Hey, old man." I nodded to Luke as he stepped aside for me walk in through the front door. From the dimly lit porch, it appeared that all his color was back in his face; he looked livelier, less feeble. He was hobbling around with a cane since his doctor said he should begin moving around more when he felt strong enough to do so.

As I walked into the living room, I heard a plethora of commotion occurring upstairs.

"No! Wear _this_ necklace, mama!" Harper yelled.

"Mom, did you turn the curling iron off?" Rory asked.

I heard a loud thump. "Yes, but, crap, we forgot to spray your hair with hairspray. You need your hair to stay in place in case there's any frolicking."

"Mom!" I could almost hear Rory's eyes roll. "I don't think it's like that."

"Well, you never know!" Lorelai responded. "Better to be prepared!"

"Geez, how do you live with all of them? Is it this way 24/7 when Rory and Harper are here?" I asked as I turned around to look at Luke.

Now that we were inside, where it was bright enough for me to actually see him, I started snickering once I scrutinized his face. "I guess your appearance answers my question. What the hell happened to you?"

He rolled his eyes as he slowly plopped down into the couch cushions. "What do you think?" He grumbled. "Lorelai was helping Rory upstairs, and Harper asked if she could practice putting makeup on me. Have you ever tried saying no to Harper?"

I continued laughing as I sat down in a nearby chair. "Shit, you _have_ become a real softy."

"Yeah, yeah," he griped again.

"So, how are you feeling?" I asked. "You're up walking around more."

"I'm good. I started physical therapy last week. The doctor says I can start going back to work as early as next week for a couple hours here and there, just have to keep things light."

I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Of course, I wanted Luke to get feel better, but I internally cringed at the idea of Luke coming back full-time because it meant I wouldn't need to stay here any longer… I would go back to Philadelphia. I would leave Rory… and Harper.

I shook my head slightly. That was ridiculous. I had my own life to live. I wanted to get back to Truncheon Books. Rory needed less distractions so she could finally get me her second novel, and Luke needed to go back to work. I knew he was going damn near crazy being home all day.

"That's great. So, you'll come by the diner a little next week then?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's the plan."

I heard more racket upstairs, followed by Harper zooming down the stairs and into the living room. She ran right up to me and smiled. "Hi, Jess! Do you like Grandpa Lukey's make over?"

I laughed as glanced at Luke again. "Yes. I think he might need some more lipstick, though."

She giggled as Luke sighed and scowled at me. "I was thinking that, too!"

She turned away from me, ran over to the coffee table, and picked up the lipstick. "Wait until you see mama," Harper said as she opened the tube and started swiping the red color all over Luke's mouth. "She's _soooo_ pretty!"

 _Rory is always pretty_ , I wanted to respond, but didn't. I mean, this was a date, right? Did I make that clear enough when I asked her to go with me? Or did Rory think we were just old friends hanging out?

"I don't think anyone can be _prettier_ than Grandpa _Lukey_." I sneered.

I turned when I heard someone walking down the stairs. It was Lorelai. She strolled over and sat down next to Luke as she laughed. "My God, you are even more handsome than when I left you down here an hour ago. Butch Danes, famous ladies' man."

"Geez," Luke rolled his eyes as Lorelai kissed his shimmery cheek.

Rory was close behind her mom as she scurried down the stairs then swiftly sat down on the last step to pull her shoes on. "Sorry, Jess! I know we're running a little late." She smiled sheepishly.

I heard what she said, but I couldn't figure out how to make words come out of my frozen mouth. As Rory stood up, I was completely awestricken, my brain was mush…

She was wearing a long, blue dress that hugged her feminine curves immaculately. Her wavy hair was pinned halfway up, and gleaming earrings framed her rosy-cheeked face.

I swallowed as I stood up and took a step toward her. _Get it together you fucking idiot; it's just Rory_ , I tried to tell myself, but it wasn't effective. Rory was like my kryptonite sometimes, but not in a bad way.

Rory tilted her head slightly to the side as she studied me. "You okay?"

I cleared my throat. "Yes. You just look…" I was still at a loss for words.

"Beautiful?" Harper offered as she strode to my side.

"Yes," I immediately agreed. "'Beautiful' is the perfect word." But it didn't feel like enough… Rory was much more than that… She was _everything_.

Rory smiled. "And you look handsome in that tux. I don't think I've ever seen you wear a tux before, actually."

I smiled back. "That's because I haven't."

"Really? Never?"

"Nope, first time."

"Well, it suits you," she said as she walked toward the coffee table and picked up her small purse. "I'll pick Harper up tomorrow morning, mom."

"No rush, kid. Have fun! That layer of hairspray should last you through a few rounds of frolicking." Lorelai responded as Rory knelt down and kissed Harper goodbye.

"What's frolicking?" Harper asked as Rory stood back up.

"Uh," Lorelai shuddered for a moment. "It's a type of tag where you run around and chase each other excitedly."

"Sounds like fun!" Harper grinned.

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. Harper and I fist bumped, and I nodded to Luke and Lorelai as I followed Rory toward the front door.

We started walking toward the high school. It was quiet at first, maybe a little awkward; it's been a long time since Rory and I have done anything remotely similar to this. Our relationship has been very surface-level for years – only saying hi and catching up briefly… until lately, anyway.

"I'm glad you said yes to this," I blurted out, trying to fill the silence.

Rory snorted. "Well, how would it look if I said no after your clever scheme of getting that quote in the newspaper?"

"True. I guess this _is_ a pity date then." I joked.

"Yes," Rory lightheartedly agreed. "The _pity-est_ of all dates."

We were outside the high school now. We walked to the front entrance where students were eagerly lined up to partake in this trite, young-adult activity that still did not make a whole lot of sense to me. Rory chatted with someone sitting behind the ticket table before we walked into the overly decorated, gaudy gymnasium.

It was dimly lit, and every inch of the walls were covered with twinkle lights, greenery, garland, balloons, and streamers. The theme, apparently, being "Enchanted Garden," according to the banner that hung above a photo booth station. There was lame music blaring and a sizable group of students dancing on the designated dance floor.

We walked the perimeter of the gym until we were in a corner of the room near the food and drinks. More chaperones lined the wall near us, scowling as they watched the students dance in, what they probably deemed, less than appropriate ways.

I tried to nonchalantly nod my head toward the punch bowl as I turned and walked the few steps over. I filled up two cups then glanced around carefully. I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out a flask. I started to pour some of the vodka into her cup then mine.

"You're gonna get us kicked out, you rebellious fink." Rory whispered before snatching her cup and taking a sip. "Ugh, this definitely makes me feel like we're teenagers. This is an awful drink, but it'll do the trick, I suppose."

"'Rebellious fink', huh?" I chuckled. "I've been called worse. Besides, how can the chaperones get kicked out? Don't _we_ do the kicking out?"

"Touché," Rory conceded as she tapped her cup to mine and took another sip of the punch. "I'm just envious I didn't think of the flask idea."

"You're welcome." I took my own drink of the foul punch and grimaced. Vodka in watered-down, powdery punch was definitely a repugnant combination.

I turned and looked at Rory again. She really was breathtaking in that dress. The way her skin gleamed in the dimly lit room was very… enticing. I leaned closer to her before whispering, "You _really_ do look quite beautiful tonight, you know."

She smiled before turning toward me. "You're just trying to get lucky at the end of the night. That's what prom's for, right? It's gonna take more than this punch," she held up her cup. "And your charming comments to get this dress on your bedroom floor tonight, mister."

We both laughed. "Actually, I was just trying to butter you up for a dance or two later, or maybe a cheesy, cliché prom picture?" I nodded toward the photo booth.

Rory eyed me skeptically. "Jess Mariano wants to _dance_?"

"Let's drink a couple more of these," I held my cup up. "Then I will _definitely_ show you my suave dance moves."

"Bottoms up, then," Rory smirked before tapping her cup to mine again and gulping down the entire drink. I followed suit then refilled our cups with the same punch/vodka concoction.

We stayed in our little corner and chatted gaily for about an hour while intermittently glancing around the room to ensure the teenagers were behaving in an acceptable fashion. We both finished two more cups of the spiked punch.

"Alright, picture time." Rory reached out to grab my hand as she guided us toward the photo booth. A school staff member was in the middle of announcing the prom king and queen, so there was no line for us to wait in.

Rory pulled me directly into the photo booth and leaned across me to hurriedly close the curtain as I sat down. She pressed the necessary buttons on the screen before settling in next to me. The count down on the screen started, and we both made a silly face. For the next one, Rory reached up and grabbed my head before pulling it toward her and kissing my cheek. I laughed as the camera flashed, momentarily distracted by how close her lips were to mine. I did the same thing to her in the last one.

We stumbled out of the photo booth and took our photo strips from the printer. Rory ripped them in half and gave me one. I smiled down at the photo before shoving it into my pocket. The prom king and queen were in the middle of their slow dance when the staff member announced that others could join them on the dance floor.

I looked over at Rory and held my hand out to her. She smirked mockingly as she put her hand in mine and followed my lead out on to the floor. I was not an avid dancer by any means, but I was sure I could easily mimic the fluff I'd seen in movies. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her a few inches closer. I noticed her eyes grow a little wider as her arms circled around my neck. We started swaying gently back and forth to the slow melody.

I swallowed as I stepped a couple inches closer and wrapped my arms tighter around her. Her eyes caught mine. We gazed at each other for a few seconds before smiling and looking away. I thought I saw a faint blush appear on her cheeks.

She closed the gap all the way between us and rested her cheek on my shoulder as we continued swaying to the music. I felt my heart rate increase at the feel of her body molded directly into mine. I felt more alive, giddy, and completely at ease. The song changed, and I waited for Rory to move, but she didn't, so we danced together through the next slow song, too.

When it was over, Rory lifted her head, and our eyes met again as the song changed into something a lot more upbeat. "Do you want to leave and go for a walk?" I asked quietly.

"Are chaperones allowed to just leave?" She questioned.

I shrugged then nodded to the crowd of school employees in the corner of the room. "I think they can hold down the fort without us."

She smiled then shifted to hold my hand as we turned and made our way to the exit. Once we were outside, Rory leaned down and took her shoes off, so she was walking barefoot.

"Hey, you got anything left in that flask?" She asked as we rounded the corner, walking toward Larson's dock.

I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled the flask free. I unscrewed the top before handing it to her. She took a big sip then exhaled loudly from the burn. I reached for it and took a swig, too. We passed it back and forth until we were on the dock, sitting on the ledge with our feet dangling. Rory crossed her arms, like she was cold, so I took my jacket off and flung it over her shoulders. She smiled as she snuggled it around herself.

We were silent as we looked out at the water. It was a calm and peaceful night – no sounds except for a few crickets off in the distance and the gentle lull of the water. It was dark, but the moonlight poured over us, making Rory's skin glow like it had under the lights in the gymnasium.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked quietly after a few minutes.

She chuckled softly. "Actually, I was thinking about the time my mom and I devil-egged your car."

I laughed. "So, it _was_ you! I finally find out the truth after all these years."

"Of course, it was me," she continued giggling. "That was me trying my hand at flirting; I think I was rather successful."

"I can't believe you engaged is such foul behavior. _So_ out of character for you."

She shifted so she was facing me. I turned toward her, too. "It helped me land you, didn't it?"

I smirked. "I guess you're right. What other tricks do you have up your sleeve, Gilmore?"

"I've got one more, I think," she whispered before reaching up to touch the side of my face with her hand. I leaned into her touch. Our eyes deeply locked again, just as they had when we were dancing. She glanced down at my lips once then back up into my eyes. That was the _only_ invitation I needed.

"Fuck being just friends," I muttered. Before I could overthink it, I wrapped an arm around her waist and gently cupped her cheek. I leaned forward and pressed my lips firmly to hers.

I wasn't prepared for the fireworks that erupted from the blissful feel of her lips against mine. Goddamn, I knew we kissed before, but had it felt this intense, this electric, this _right_!? Fuck, my body was reacting erratically. My heart was pounding, my breathing was a jagged, and blood left my head to travel to other areas.

I didn't think Rory was faring much better than me. She tangled her hand in my hair and pulled me closer to her. Her other arm wrapped around my back and gripped my shirt. I parted my lips, and Rory deepened the kiss by slipping her tongue into my mouth. Our tongues danced together in perfect harmony, creating more fire, more desire, more intensity.

Jesus, it was like this woman casted a spell on me. I couldn't think about anything else. I just _had_ to keep kissing her. Never in my life have I experienced a kiss this passionate; it was all-consuming.

Rory broke away from the kiss, completely out of breath. As she panted, I kissed her cheek, jaw, then slowly made my way down to her neck. She tilted her head back and to the side, welcoming the sensation. I kissed and gently nibbled her smooth, sensitive skin before making my way up the opposite side of her neck. She crushed her mouth to mine again, and our lips continued their perfectly in-sync movements.

We both pulled away after several seconds, trying to catch our breaths. I rested my forehead against hers, unwillingly to allow the closeness to be over so soon.

"Jess…" Rory breathed, then paused for a second. "My head is spinning…"

"Mine is, too, Rory." I whispered back before running my fingers through her hair.

She shifted and pressed her lips to mine again for a brief moment. "Do you… want to come back to my place since Harper's at my mom's for the night?"

I was momentarily glad that it was dark outside because I think my eyes popped out of my motherfucking head. Going back to Rory's place? Shit, I hadn't been planning for that at all. I mean, how many times have I envisioned Rory and me having sex? A fucking thousand, but… I felt nervous all of a sudden since I hadn't even thought that tonight could lead down that path. I just didn't want to ruin things with her.

"Yes, if that's what you want," I muttered before I was quiet for too long and she worried I didn't want to be with her in that way. But my mind was still a little jumbled. That little make-out session really fucked with my cognitive ability.

She leaned away from me and slipped her shoes back on before standing up and holding her hand out to me. I took it without hesitation as we walked hand-in-hand toward her house to continue our evening.


End file.
